2013
Closing the Gap Clearinghouse (2013)
Strategies to minimise the incidence of suicide and suicidal behaviour.
Canberra: Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
This paper provides an evaluation of polices and programs aimed at the prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviour among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It considers programs and policies employed in remote and non-remote areas of Australia and internationally, including their strengths, limitations and overall effectiveness for Indigenous people and their communities.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Forsythe L (2013)
Measuring mental health in criminology research: lessons from the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia program.
Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Criminology
Grogan P, Colvin K, Rose J, Morstyn L, Atkins C (2013)
Building the scaffolding: strengthening support for young people in Victoria.
Melbourne: Victorian Council of Social Service
Haswell MR, Wheeler T, Wargent R, Brownlie A, Tulip F, Baird M, Gardiner L, Pulver LJ (2013)
Validation and enhancement of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychiatric hospitalisation statistics through an Indigenous Mental Health Worker register.
Rural and Remote Health; 12: 2002
Retrieved 4 February 2013 from http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/showarticlenew.asp?ArticleID=2002
Holland C, Dudgeon P, Milroy H (2013)
The mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities.
Canberra: National Mental Health Commission
This comprehensive paper provides great insight into the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It builds on the information contained in A contributing life: the 2012 national report on mental health and suicide prevention by exploring more broadly the story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the multitude of factors that impact on the mental health and wellbeing of this population. The paper is presented in three parts, with Part 1 providing an overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. Part 2 reports on the unmet need for social and emotional wellbeing and mental health services and programs, and Part 3 focuses on national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and mental health policy.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Isaacs AN, Maybery D, Gruis H (2013)
Help seeking by Aboriginal men who are mentally unwell: a pilot study.
Early Intervention in Psychiatry; Early View(http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/eip.12015):
Luke JN, Anderson IP, Gee GJ, Thorpe R, Rowley KG, Reilly RE, Thorpe A, Stewart PJ (2013)
Suicide ideation and attempt in a community cohort of urban Aboriginal youth: a cross-sectional study.
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention; Advance Articles: 1-11
MacRae A, Thomson N, Anomie, Burns J, Catto M, Gray C, Levitan L, McLoughlin N, Potter C, Ride K, Stumpers S, Trzesinski A, Urquhart B (2013)
Overview of Australian Indigenous health status, 2012.
Perth, WA: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Price M, Dalgliesh J (2013)
Help-seeking among Indigenous Australian adolescents.
Youth Studies Australia; 32(1): 10-18
Pridmore S, Kuipers P, Appleton J (2013)
The ‘Operationalized Predicaments of Suicide’ (OPS) applied to Northern Territory coroners’ reports.
Asian Journal of Psychiatry; 6(3): 214–217
Sambrano R, Cox L (2013)
‘I sang Amazing Grace for about 3 hours that day’: Understanding Indigenous Australians’ experience of seclusion.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; Early View(http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/inm.12015):
Skinner TC, Blick J, Coffin J, Dudgeon P, Forrest S, Morrison D (2013)
Comparative validation of self-report measures of negative attitudes towards Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.
Rural and Remote Health; 13: 1959
Retrieved 9 April 2013 from http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/showarticlenew.asp?ArticleID=1959
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2013)
Report on government services 2013.
Melbourne: Productivity Commission
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2013)
Report on government services 2013: Indigenous compendium.
Canberra: Productivity Commission
This publication draws on the Report on government services 2013 to present data specific to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It reports on the delivery of mainstream services to Indigenous people including services for:
- childcare, education and training
- justice
- emergency management
- health
- community services
- housing and homelessness.
Performance reporting focuses on the degree to which the objective for a service is met. The report details the objective (outcomes) for each service stated and the performance indicators measuring the achievement of each objective.
Improvements in reporting by Indigenous status has allowed for detailed reporting for Indigenous children enrolled and attending preschool and elapsed times for aged care services to Indigenous people.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Stewart J, Allan J (2013)
Building relationships with Aboriginal people: a cultural mapping toolbox.
Australian Social Work; 66(1): 118-129
2012
Bennett B, Green S, Gilbert S, Bessarab B, eds. (2012)
Our voices : Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander social work.
South Yarra, Vic: Palgrave Macmillan
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012)
Suicides, Australia, 2010.
Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (2012)
Ten year roadmap for national mental health reform : Draft #4 [draft for consultation].
Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2012)
Summary of Australian Indigenous health, 2011.
Perth, WA: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012)
Australia's health 2012.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012)
The mental health of prison entrants in Australia: 2010.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Butler C (2012)
Indigenous adolescent mental health: what is the role of primary health care?.
RESEARCH ROUNDup; June 2012(24): 1-2
Calma T (2012)
Tom Calma speaks on mental health in communities [interview].
: Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association
Campbell LV (2012)
'It's been a long hard fight for me': the stolen generations and narratives of poor health in Australia 1883-2009.
Master of Arts thesis, University of Waikato: Hamilton, NZ
Cheung YTD, Spittal MJ, Yip PSF, Pirkis J (2012)
Spatial analysis of suicide mortality in Australia: investigation of metropolitan-rural-remote differentials of suicide risk across states/territories.
Social Science & Medicine; 75(8): 1460–1468
De Leo D, Sveticic J (2012)
Suicide in Queensland 2005-2007: mortality rates and related data.
Brisbane: Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University
De Leo D, Milner A, Sveticic J (2012)
Mental disorders and communication of intent to die in Indigenous suicide cases, Queensland, Australia.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior; 42(2): 136–146
Dudgeon P, Cox K, D’Anna D, Dunkley C, Hams K, Kelly K, Scrine C, Walker R (2012)
Hear our voices: community consultations for the development of an empowerment, healing and leadership program for Aboriginal people living in the Kimberley, Western Australia: final research report.
Perth, WA: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research: Aboriginal Health
This report details the methodology and findings of a research project that was undertaken in response to the high number of suicides in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The primary aim of the project was to develop an Aboriginal-led empowerment, healing, and leadership program that would appropriately meet the needs of the local community members. Community consultations were held to seek feedback from members on the development of such a program. Knowledge was also gained through a literature review and an examination of similar programs. The findings demonstrated an apparent need to support people to change their lives, with participants speaking of the need to initially focus on strengthening the individual and rebuilding family. Participants also spoke of the urgent need to focus on young people. The findings also demonstrated that the efficacy of a program was largely dependent on the program being culturally-based and the inclusion of traditional elements.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Griffin C, Hinton R, Nagel T (2012)
Yarning about Indigenous mental health: translation of a recovery paradigm to practice.
Advances in Mental Health; 10(3): 1
Harris JB, Hill B, Kiernan M (2012)
A model for increasing Indigenous participation in psychology degrees.
Australian Psychologist; 47(3):
Heffernan E, Anderson K, Dev A (2012)
Inside Out: the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody report.
Brisbane: Queensland Health
Isaacs AN, Maybery D, Gruis H (2012)
Mental health services for Aboriginal men: mismatches and solutions.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; 21(5): 400–408
Kõlves K, Milner A, McKay K, De Leo D (2012)
Suicide in rural and remote areas of Australia.
Meloburne: Living is for Everyone
Kuipers P, Appleton J, Pridmore S (2012)
Thematic analysis of key factors associated with Indigenous and non-Indigenous suicide in the Northern Territory, Australia.
Rural and Remote Health; 12: 2235
Retrieved 31 December 2012 from http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/showarticlenew.asp?ArticleID=2235
Larney S, Topp L, Devon Indig, O'Driscoll C, Greenberg D (2012)
A cross-sectional survey of prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among prisoners in New South Wales, Australia.
BMC Public Health; 12: 14
Retrieved 6 January 2012 from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-12-14.pdf
Law Report (2012)
Indefinite detention and mental impairment in NT [podcast].
: Radio National
This podcast was produced by the Law Report program on Radio National. The topic of the podcast is the criminal justice situation in the Northern Territory, in particular custodial supervision orders, legislation which allows some offenders who have an intellectual or mental impairment to be detained indefinitely in prisons. Mark O'Reilly, the principal legal officer at the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service, is interviewed in this podcast.
Abstract adapted from Radio National
LopesJ, Lindeman M, Taylor K, Grant L (2012)
Cross cultural education in suicide prevention: development of a training resource for use in Central Australian Indigenous communities.
Advances in Mental Health; 10(3):
Macklin J (2012)
Continuing our efforts to close the gap: Ministerial statements 2012-13.
Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
McKenna T, Woods DB (2012)
Using psychotherapeutic arts to decolonise counselling for Indigenous peoples.
Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy; 3(1): 29-40
McNamara PM (2012)
Adolescent suicide in Australia: rates, risk and resilience.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry; Online first(http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359104512455812):
Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Office (2012)
NSW suicide prevention strategy 2010–2015 : first progress report : September 2010 – March 2012.
Sydney: New South Wales Ministry of Health
Mental Health Council of Australia (2012)
Recognition and respect: mental health carers report 2012.
Deakin, ACT: Mental Health Council of Australia
This report provides insight into the lived experience of people who care for someone with a mental illness. It documents the findings of a survey that was distributed to mental health carers in 2011-2012 by the Mental Health Council of Australia. The survey findings have been categorised according to similarity and include: the need to recognise and respect the important contribution that carers make to the lives of people with mental illness; the carers' perspective on the services and support available to them; the carers' views of the services and support available to consumers; and the experiences of young carers, culturally and linguistically diverse carers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers. Detailed information is provided for each of the major findings, with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carer section focusing on: cultural issues; services and support for Aboriginal carers; financial burdens; respite services; housing; stigma and discrimination; services and support for Aboriginal consumers; and workforce issues.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Menzies School of Health Research (2012)
Towards a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy: consultation paper for community forums.
Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research
National Mental Health Commission (2012)
A contributing life: the 2012 national report card on mental health and suicide prevention.
Sydney: National Mental Health Commission
This report is the first national report card into mental health and suicide prevention in Australia. It is the product of an independent review of mental health, which involved extensive consultations with, and contributions from, people with a lived experience of mental health issues, their family and supporters, and those working in the field in varying capacities. The report card is divided into chapters, with each chapter focusing on a particular issue, such as the emotional and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The chapters include information, assessment, and commentary on how the nation is faring in relation to each issue, the progress made, and the improvements required. Incorporated into the report card are the personal stories of those affected by mental health difficulties to highlight the current circumstances of people living with mental health difficulties. The report card culminates in 10 recommendations which point to areas where real action is needed to ensure those with mental health difficulties live a contributing life.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
National Mental Health Commission (2012)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples overcoming cycles of disadvantage for a contributing life.
In: A contributing life: the 2012 national report card on mental health and suicide prevention. Sydney: National Mental Health Commission: 19-26
This section of the A contributing life report provides information on the mental health, and the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This section of the report includes data, the personal stories of two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by mental health difficulties, and the fictional story of a young boy that details his journey from early life to adulthood. It acknowledges the diversity that exists within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population while also providing insight into some of the mental health challenges encountered by Indigenous peoples, and the improvements needed to service delivery. This report section forms part of a larger document that is the first national report card into mental health and suicide prevention in Australia. The report card is the product of an independent review of mental health, which involved extensive consultations with, and contributions from, people with a lived experience of mental health issues, their family and supporters, and those working in the field in varying capacities. Included in the report card are sections dedicated to selected issues within the mental health field, as well as 10 recommendations which point to areas where real action is needed to ensure those with mental health difficulties live a contributing life.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
National Mental Health Commission (2012)
National report card on mental health and suicide prevention roundtable consultations 26-27 April 2012.
Sydney: National Mental Health Commission
New South Wales Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence (2012)
The health of Aboriginal people of NSW: report of the Chief Health Officer 2012.
Sydney: New South Wales Ministry of Health
NT Child Deaths Review and Prevention Committee (2012)
Report on child and youth suicide in the NT.
Darwin: Northern Territory Government
Parker RM (2012)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: paradise lost? [editorial].
Medical Journal of Australia; 196(2): 89-90
Prandl KJ, Rooney R, Bishop BJ (2012)
Mental health of Australian Aboriginal women during pregnancy: identifying the gaps.
Archives of Womens Mental Health; 15(3): 149-154
Qi X, Hu W, Page A, Tong S (2012)
Spatial clusters of suicide in Australia.
BMC Psychiatry; 12: 86
Retrieved 23 July 2012 from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/12/86
Rinehart NE, Borninkhof J (2012)
Exploring primary health care needs, welfare requirements and service use of people experiencing homelessness within Melbourne’s CBD and inner suburbs.
Canberra: Australian Homelessness Clearinghouse
Robinson G, Tyler W, Jones Y, Silburn S, Zubrick SR (2012)
Context, diversity and engagement: early intervention with Australian Aboriginal families in urban and remote contexts.
Children & Society; 26(5): 343–355
Robinson G, Bernard Leckning B, Silburn S (2012)
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy: discussion paper (draft).
Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research
Robinson G, Silburn S, Leckning B (2012)
Selective review of international examples of Indigenous suicide prevention: information paper.
Darwin: Menzies School of Health Research
Select Committee on Youth Suicides in the NT (2012)
Gone too soon: a report into youth suicide in the Northern Territory: committee report.
Darwin: Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
This report details the findings of an inquiry by the Select Committee on Youth Suicides in the Northern Territory into the high rate of youth suicide in the Northern Territory when compared with other Australian states and territories. Through public consultation and a review of government policies and funding, programs and services, and data collection and research, the inquiry found young Indigenous men are the highest risk group for suicide, while suicides by young Indigenous females was also an emerging trend. The inquiry explored the many factors associated with suicide and identified those factors shown to increase the risk of suicide among youths in the Northern Territory. In an effort to appropriately address youth suicide in the Northern Territory, the report identifies four areas for further action and makes 23 recommendations.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Stathis SL, Doolan I, Letters P, Arnett A, Cory S, Quinlan L (2012)
Use of the Westerman Aboriginal Symptoms Checklist - Youth (WASC-Y) to screen for mental health problems in Indigenous youth in custody.
Advances in Mental Health; 10(3): 1
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2012)
Report on government services 2012.
Melbourne: Productivity Commission
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2012)
Report on government services 2012: Indigenous compendium.
Canberra: Productivity Commission
This report draws on the Report on government services 2012 to present data specific to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. It reports on the delivery of mainstream services to Indigenous people including services for:
- early childhood, education and training
- justice
- emergency management
- health
- community services
- housing and homelessness.
Performance reporting focuses on the degree to which objective for a service is met. The report details the objective (outcomes) for each services stated and the performance indicators measuring the achievement of each objective.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Sutton K, Maybery D, Moore T (2012)
Bringing them home: a Gippsland mental health workforce recruitment strategy.
Australian Health Review; 36(1): 79-82
Sveticic J, Milner A, De Leo D (2012)
Contacts with mental health services before suicide: a comparison of Indigenous with non-Indigenous Australians.
General Hospital Psychiatry; 34(2): 185–191
Tatz C (2012)
Aborigines, sport and suicide.
Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics; iFirst(http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2012.723352)
Retrieved 3 October 2012 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2012.723352
Thomson N, MacRae A, Brankovich J, Burns J, Catto M, Gray C, Levitan L, Maling C, Potter C, Ride K, Stumpers S, Urquhart B (2012)
Overview of Australian Indigenous health status, 2011.
Perth, WA: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Tighe J (2012)
Alive and kicking goals!: preliminary findings from a Kimberley suicide prevention program.
Advances in Mental Health; 10(3): 240 - 245
Trauer T, Nagel T (2012)
Outcome measurement in adult Indigenous mental health consumers.
Advances in Mental Health; 11(1): 106-116
2011
Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (2011)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health performance framework: 2010 report.
Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Department of Health and Ageing
This is the third report developed under the auspice of the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council to measure progress against the National strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health as well as the more recent measures introduced under Closing the gap national partnerships.
The performance framework reports on the three tiers of health:
- health status and outcomes: this includes measures of prevalence of disease or injury, human function, life expectancy and wellbeing
- measures of the health determinants: this includes socioeconomic status, environmental factors and health behaviours
- health system performance: this includes effectiveness, responsiveness, accessibility and sustainability.
Major findings of the report include:
- a significant decline in Indigenous deaths due to avoidable causes
- narrowing of the mortality gap
- reduction in infant mortality
- chronic diseases are a continuing concern, contributing to two thirds of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
- there were slight reductions in literacy and numeracy gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students
- risky behaviours, such as smoking and lack of physical activity, were continuing concerns among Indigenous people
- access to, and utilisation of medical services is less than expected given higher levels of illness
- access to medical services is more difficult in remote than non-remote areas.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2011)
Mental health services - in brief 2011.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Ballestas T, Xiao J, McEvoy S, Somerford P (2011)
The epidemiology of injury in Western Australia, 2000-2008.
Perth: Public Health Division, Department of Health WA
Cappo D, McGorry P, Hickie I, Rosenberg S, Moran J, Hamilton M (2011)
Including, connecting, contributing: a blueprint to transform mental health and social participation in Australia.
Sydney: Brain and Mind Research Institute
Child and Adolescent Community Health (2011)
Health and wellbeing profile of young Western Australians.
Perth: Department of Health, Western Australia
Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (2011)
Reducing youth suicide in Queensland final report.
Brisbane: Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
Davis M (2011)
Aboriginal mental health workers and the impact of suicide in remote communities.
The Chronicle; 22(4): 24
De Leo D, Sveticic J, Milner A, McKay K (2011)
Suicide in Indigenous populations of Queensland.
Bowen Hills, Qld.: Australian Academic Press
De Leo D, Sveticic J, Milner A (2011)
Suicide in Indigenous people in Queensland, Australia: trends and methods, 1994–2007.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 45(7): 532-538
Doyle K (2011)
Modes of colonisation and patterns of contemporary mental health: towards an understanding of Canadian Aboriginal, Australian Aboriginal and Maori peoples.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(1): 20-23
Hanssens L (2011)
'Suicide (echo) clusters' - are they socially determined, the result of a pre-existing vulnerability in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and how can we contain cluster suicides?.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 35(1): 14-19, 23
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing (2011)
Before it's too late: report on early intervention programs aimed at preventing youth suicide.
Canberra: The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia
Hunter E (2011)
Contextualizing Indigenous suicide.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 45(7): 593-594
Jamieson LM, Paradies YC, Gunthorpe W, Cairney SJ, Sayers SM (2011)
Oral health and social and emotional well-being in a birth cohort of Aboriginal Australian young adults.
BMC Public Health; 11: 656
Retrieved 19 August 2011 from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-11-656.pdf
Productivity Commission (2011)
Report on government services 2011.
Melbourne: Productivity Commission
Robinson G, Silburn S, Leckning B (2011)
Suicide of children and youth in the NT, 2006-2010: public release report for the Child Deaths Review and Prevention Committee.
Darwin: Menzies Centre for Child Development and Education
Spurgeon D (2011)
Indigenous mental health nursing in remote settings.
In: Edward K, Munro I, Robins A, Welch A, eds. Mental health nursing : dimensions of praxis. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press: 415-426
Stark CR, Riordan V, O'Connor R (2011)
A conceptual model of suicide in rural areas.
Rural and Remote Health; 11: 1622
Retrieved 21 June 2011 from http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_1622.pdf
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2011)
Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage: key indicators 2011.
Canberra: Productivity Commission, Australia
This report is the fifth in a series of reports on overcoming Indigenous disadvantage as commissioned by the heads of government in 2002. It has been produced in consultation with Indigenous peoples, governments, academics and service providers. The report measures the progress of the six targets set by the Council of Australian Governments Closing the gap strategy, together with other identified significant indicators. The report has three main sections:
- an overview of the key messages
- the main report which provides the evidence base for the framework for the report and detailed information on the current outcomes and those interventions and policies that have enhanced those outcomes
- tables expanding on the data presented in the report.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (2011)
Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage: key indicators 2011 overview.
Canberra: Productivity Commission, Australia
Aboriginal health progress sheet - suicide and self harm (2011)
Victorian Department of Health
Wesley LifeForce (2011)
Wesley LifeForce Suicide Prevention Program: select committee submission: youth suicides in the Northern Territory.
Ashfield, NSW: Wesley mission
West R, Usher K (2011)
The mental health of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In: Edward K, Munro I, Robins A, Welch A, eds. Mental health nursing : dimensions of praxis. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press: 397-408
Western Australian Country Health Service (2011)
Mental health strategic intent: strategic framework for service planning to 2020.
Perth, WA: Western Australian Department of Health
2010
beyondblue, ed. (2010)
Research: targeted research in depression, anxiety and related disorders 2007-2010.
Canberra: beyondblue
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010)
Australia's health 2010: the twelfth biennial report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australia's health 2010 was released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare as the twelfth edition of its biennial national health report. The report shows that Australia is one of the healthiest nations in the world, with most Australians generally have good health and access to a range of good health care services, but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to have much poorer health than the general population.
Health information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is included in various sections of the report but particularly in chapter 5.1 which compiles information about demographic profiles, health status, disability rates and service use. The section highlights that Indigenous Australians are continuing to die at much younger ages than non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians also continue to have a greater disease burden, higher rates of disability and a lower quality of life than other Australians. The section concludes with information on behaviours and health risk factors that shape the health status of Indigenous peoples such as tobacco use, alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, and housing conditions.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010)
Mental health services in Australia 2007–08.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010)
The health of Australia's prisoners 2009.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Bain E, Chur-Hansen A (2010)
'Why has this patient presented in this manner at this time in the context of his or her life?'.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 34(2): 17-20
Bromfield L, Lamont A, Parker R, Horsfall B (2010)
Issues for the safety and wellbeing of children in families with multiple and complex problems: the co-occurrence of domestic violence, parental substance misuse, and mental health problems.
Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies
Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health Queensland (2010)
Pathways to resilience: rural and remote Indigenous community suicide prevention initiative: final report.
Brisbane: Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health Queensland
This paper reports on the evaluation outcomes of a suicide prevention project undertaken by the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health Queensland (CRRMHQ) titled Pathways to resilience (P2R). Funding for the project was provided by the Department of Communities and the Queensland Government Suicide Prevention Strategy 2003-2008 served as a guide for the development of the project.
The P2R project was premised on the belief that communities have the knowledge and ability to address suicide locally and to develop solutions appropriate for their peoples. Six communities participated in the project and phase one involved consulting with each community to identify issues of concern and to develop strategies for addressing such issues. This consultation process led to the development of Suicide Prevention Activity Plans for each community. Phase two of the project involved the implementation of the community activity plans.
Information generated from the project's evaluation revealed the completed community activities increased participants' knowledge and awareness about Indigenous suicide which enhanced participants' health capacity and led to feelings of empowerment. The evaluation also identified several key factors pertinent to the success of suicide prevention initiatives including: strong community ownership and empowerment; culturally appropriate activities; a focus on awareness raising and safe environments; capacity building; the formation of strong community partnerships and networks; and flexibility in the range of activities offered.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Commonwealth of Australia (2010)
Commonwealth response to The Hidden Toll: Suicide in Australia Report of the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee.
Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
This report details the Commonwealth's response to the Senate Community Affairs Reference Committee's report: The hidden toll: suicide in Australia which proposed 42 recommendations to reduce and prevent suicide and enhance support to those at risk of suicide. The report by the Commonwealth notes the intended actions and accomplishments of the Australian Government in relation to each recommendation. Indigenous Australians, along with other groups at high risk of suicide, form a particular focus of the report and subsequently there is mention of the Government's intention to develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention strategy to address the higher rate of suicide in the Indigenous population compared with the non-Indigenous population. Assisting the Government in achieving its reported intentions is the Mental health: taking action to tackle suicide package which will see $274 million committed to the implementation of universal and targeted suicide interventions.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Department of Health and Ageing (2010)
National mental health report 2010: summary of 15 Years of reform in Australia’s mental health services under the National Mental Health Strategy 1993-2008.
Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
Dingwall KM, Cairney S (2010)
Psychological and cognitive assessment of Indigenous Australians.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 44(1): 20-30
This article provides an evaluation of the psychological and cognitive assessments considered suitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The article presents a review of various psychological, mental health, social and emotional wellbeing, and cognitive assessments that have been used in, or developed for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Eckermann A-K, Dowd T, Chong E, Nixon L, Gray R, Johnson SM (2010)
Binan Goonj : bridging cultures in Aboriginal health.
3rd Edition ed. Sydney: Churchill Livingstone
Ellis IK, Philip T (2010)
Improving the skills of rural and remote generalists to manage mental health emergencies.
Rural and Remote Health; 10: 1503
Retrieved from http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_1503.pdf
Flint PJ (2010)
Emotional and behavioural problems in Indigenous adults with intellectual disability.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, Monash University: Melbourne
Hanssens L (2010)
"Echo Clusters" - Are they a unique phenomenon of Indigenous attempted and completed suicide?.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 34(1): 17-26
Hocking S, Draper G, Somerford P, XiaoJ, Weeramanthri T (2010)
The Western Australian Chief Health Officer’s report 2010.
Perth, WA: Western Australian Department of Health
Hunter E (2010)
Suicide prevention in Indigenous communities : live chat with Professor Ernest Hunter, May 2010.
Retrieved May 2010 from http://www.livingisforeveryone.com.au/Live-chat-with-Ernest-Hunter---May-2010.html
Isaacs AN, Pyett P, Oakley-Browne MA, Gruis H, Waples-Crowe P (2010)
Barriers and facilitators to the utilization of adult mental health services by Australia's Indigenous people: seeking a way forward.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; 19(2): 75-82
Janca A (2010)
Development and evaluation of an Aboriginal mental health screening instrument.
European Psychiatry; 25(Supplement 1 (P01-329)): 542
This article describes the development of an Aboriginal mental health screening instrument. The research objectives, methods of development, and results are discussed. The research results include the production of a culturally appropriate instrument for screening and assessing mental health problems in the Aboriginal population.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Laing L, Toivonen C, Irwin J, Napier L (2010)
“They never asked me anything about that”: the stories of women who experience domestic violence and mental health concerns/illness.
Sydney: University of Sydney
McKay K, Kolves K, Klieve H, De Leo D (2010)
Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities: evaluation report.
Brisbane: Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, Queensland
Mendoza J, Rosenberg S (2010)
Suicide and suicide prevention in Australia: breaking the silence.
Moffat Beach, Qld: ConNetica Consulting
Mental Health Drug and Alcohol Office (2010)
NSW suicide prevention strategy 2010-2015 : a whole of government strategy promoting a whole of community approach.
Sydney: NSW Department of Health
Mental Health Standing Committee (2010)
Fourth national mental health plan: first progress report of implementation activity: January-December 2010.
Canberra: Australian Department of Health and Ageing
Moore T, Sutton K, Maybery D (2010)
Rural mental health workforce difficulties: a management perspective.
Rural and Remote Health; (10): 1519
Retrieved from http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_1519.pdf
Nagel TM, Thompson C (2010)
The central role of Aboriginal families in motivational counselling: family support and family ‘humbug’.
Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin; 10(1):
NSW Department of Health (2010)
NSW suicide prevention strategy implementation plan 2010-2015 : whole of government approach.
Sydney: NSW Department of Health
Parker R (2010)
Australia's Aboriginal population and mental health.
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease; 198(1): 3-7
Purdie N, Dudgeon P, Walker R, eds. (2010)
Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice.
Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing
This book was developed as an information source for health professionals working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with social and emotional wellbeing issues. The book contains comprehensive, culturally appropriate information to educate and assist health professionals who work with Indigenous clients.
The book is divided into four parts:
- history and contexts
- issues of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing
- mental health practice
- working with specific groups - models, programs, and services.
Many of the book chapters were authored by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Indigenous artwork features in various parts of the book.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Qi X, Tong S, Hu W (2010)
Spatial distribution of suicide in Queensland, Australia.
BMC Psychiatry; 10: 106
Retrieved 7 December 2010 from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-244x-10-106.pdf
SA Health (2010)
Summary report: statewide Aboriginal mental health consultation.
Adelaide: Government of South Australia
Sawyer MG, Guidolin M, Schulz KL, McGinnes B, Zubrick SR, Baghurst PA (2010)
The mental health and wellbeing of adolescents on remand in Australia.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 44(6): 551-559
Senate Community Affairs References Committee (2010)
The hidden toll: suicide in Australia.
Canberra: Senate Community Affairs Committee Secretariat
This extensive report describes the impact of suicide on the Australian community, including high risk groups such as Indigenous youth and rural communities. The committee received 258 public submissions, and held 12 public hearings across the country. The inquiry aimed to obtain an overview of:
- the personal, social and financial costs of suicide in Australia;
- the accuracy of suicide reporting in Australia;
- the appropriate role and effectiveness of agencies in assisting people at risk of suicide;
- the effectiveness of public awareness programs; the efficacy of suicide prevention training and support for front-line health and community workers providing services to people at risk;
- the role of targeted programs and services that address the particular circumstances of high-risk groups;
- the adequacy of the current program of research into suicide and suicide prevention; and
- the effectiveness of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
The report highlights the high prevalence of suicide in Indigenous communities as a significant contributor to premature Indigenous mortality. Three recommendations resulting from this inquiry relate specifically to the need to better address suicide in Indigenous communities: additional funding for both programs and projects developed for the general Australian population, as for programs and projects aimed at populations at high risk; development of an Indigenous specific strategy; and systematic community consultation and engagement for the much needed cultural sensitivity of Indigenous targeted programs.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Sevar K (2010)
Working with remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland: an experiential narrative.
Australasian Psychiatry; 18(4): 340-352
South Australian Department of Health (2010)
Adult community mental health services: model of care.
Adelaide: South Australian Department of Health
The Adult community mental health services: model of care was developed as part of the need to review policy and advise on the redesign and improvement of South Australia's mental health system.
The model of care describes the service level principles and processes that inform, underpin, and direct the provision of community mental health services to adults aged 18-64 years across the Adelaide metropolitan health regions. The document is not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander specific but does include information on Indigenous mental health.
The Adult community mental health services: model of care is intended for use in conjunction with the South Australian mental health and wellbeing policy 2010-2015 and may be of use as a reference for mental health workers.
Abstract adapted from South Australian Department of Health
South Australian Mental Health Policy Unit (2010)
South Australia's mental health and wellbeing policy 2010-2015.
Adelaide: South Australian Department of Health
Statewide Service Strategy Division (2010)
Aboriginal health care plan 2010-2016.
Adelaide: Department of Health, South Australia
The Aboriginal health care plan 2010-2016 has been developed by SA Health as part of a significant health reform led by the South Australian Government. It aims to:
- outline ways to reduce ill health among South Australian Aboriginal people
- promote cultural responsiveness in the health system
- promote Aboriginal community health and wellbeing
Aiming for an achievement of these overarching goals, the plan:
- describes the demographic and major health issues for Aboriginal South Australians and variations across the state
- outlines a model comprising six key areas: supporting good health; stronger primary health care; better care for those with high needs; an integrated and collaborative approach to the planning and delivery of services and programs, a focus on priorities; enablers for action
- identifies six priorities for action based on the burden of disease and population profile
- sets a framework for the regional Aboriginal health improvement plans
- identifies key next steps and governance arrangements
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Suicide Prevention Australia (2010)
Youth suicide prevention position statement: Suicide Prevention Australia.
Leichhardt, NSW: Suicide Prevention Australia
Taylor J, Jones RM, O'Reilly P, Oldfield W, Blackburn A (2010)
The Station Community Mental Health Centre Inc: nurturing and empowering.
Rural and Remote Health; (10): 1411
Retrieved from http://www.rrh.org.au/publishedarticles/article_print_1411.pdf
Thomas A, Cairney S, Gunthorpe W, Paradies Y, Sayers S (2010)
Strong Souls: development and validation of a culturally appropriate tool for assessment of social and emotional well-being in Indigenous youth.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 44(1): 40-48
This article reports on a study undertaken by Menzies School of Health Research that aimed to develop and validate a culturally appropriate tool for assessing social and emotional wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. The article includes information on the methods involved and the results of the study, and concludes that the instrument is a culturally appropriate and effective tool for assessing social and emotional wellbeing.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Thomson N, MacRae A, Burns J, Catto M, Debuyst O, Krom I, Midford R, Potter C, Ride K, Stumpers S, Urquhart B (2010)
Summary of Australian Indigenous health, 2010.
Perth, WA: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Townsend M, Weerasuriya R (2010)
Beyond blue to green: the benefits of contact with nature for mental health and well-being.
Melbourne: Beyond Blue Limited
Victorian Mental Health Department Drugs and Regions Division (2010)
Victorian Aboriginal suicide prevention and response action plan 2010-2015.
Melbourne: Department of Health, Victoria
The Victorian Aboriginal suicide prevention and response action plan 2010-2015 details the approach of the Victorian Government to prevent and reduce the incidence, and associated impact, of suicide and self-harm in the Victorian Aboriginal population. This document has identified four priority areas and subsequently proposed a total of 45 strategies that seek to address the risks and protective factors for Aboriginal suicide and self-harm. The priority areas and strategies have been informed by Victorian Aboriginal communities and international experience, and are embedded within a holistic, strengths-based framework that embraces Aboriginal culture and promotes good mental health and wellbeing. The information contained in this document is intended to assist in the development of improved care and support for those at risk of, or affected by, suicide or self-harm. With the rate of suicide in the Australian Aboriginal population estimated to be approximately three times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous Australians, and in some Aboriginal communities 40% higher than that reported for non-Indigenous peoples, the importance of this document is evident.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Walter S, Centre for Aboriginal Health (2010)
Mortality and hospitalisation due to injury in the Aboriginal population of New South Wales.
Sydney: Department of Health, New South Wales
The report describes death and hospitalisation rates occurring as results of injury and poisoning among the Aboriginal population of New South Wales. Both injury and poisoning are the third biggest contributors to the burden of disease in Aboriginal Australia, and the main intention of this report is to identify subgroups of the population most at risk of injury and poisoning in order to develop informed and targeted prevention initiatives.
The report presents data on deaths based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data from 2000 to 2007, and a substantial analysis of hospitalisations arising from injury by external causes. In the comprehensive analysis of hospitalisations, a range of indicators are presented in order to describe more fully each group at risk for each injury mechanism. The report also presents a detailed discussion of the data sources, issues and methodology used in the report.
Key findings of the report include:
- In general, Aboriginal people were at higher risk of death and hospitalisation due to injury or poisoning compared to non-Aboriginal people across all types of injury mechanisms.
- The leading causes of hospitalisation were falls (24%), interpersonal violence (19%), transport accidents (12%), and self-harm (9%).
- The most frequent causes of death were self-harm (25%), transport accidents (21%), poisoning (18%) and homicide (11%).
- Interpersonal violence represented the greatest disparity in risk of death and hospitalisation with Aboriginal males being four times more likely and Aboriginal females being 12 times more likely to be hospitalised due to violence compared to the non-Aboriginal population.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Wand APF, Eades SJ, Corr MJ (2010)
Considering culture in the psychiatric assessment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Advances in Mental Health; 9(1): 36-48
Ward R, Gorman D (2010)
Racism, discrimination and health services to Aboriginal people in south west Queensland.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 34(6): 3-5
Westerman T (2010)
Engaging Australian Aboriginal youth in mental health services.
Australian Psychologist; 45(3): 212-222
Western Australian Mental Health Commission (2010)
Mental Health 2020: making it personal and everybody’s business.
Perth, WA: Western Australian Mental Health Commission
Williamson AB, Raphael B, Redman S, Daniels J, Eades SJ, Mayers N (2010)
Emerging themes in Aboriginal child and adolescent mental health: findings from a qualitative study in Sydney, New South Wales.
Medical Journal of Australia; 192(10): 603-605
2009
Andy B (2009)
Indigenous dual diagnosis project.
DrugInfo Newsletter; 7(3): 7
Australian Capital Territory Department of Health (2009)
Building a strong foundation: a framework for promoting mental health and wellbeing in the ACT 2009-2014.
Canberra: Australian Capital Territory Department of Health
Australian Capital Territory Department of Health (2009)
Managing the risk of suicide: a suicide prevention strategy for the ACT 2009–2014.
Canberra: Australian Capital Territory Department of Health
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet (2009)
Summary of Australian Indigenous health, 2009.
Perth, WA: Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (2009)
Submission to the External Reference Group of the ‘Towards a National Primary Health Care Strategy’ discussion paper.
Melbourne: Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association
Australian Institute for Primary Care (2009)
Comorbidity treatment service model evaluation: final report August 2009.
Melbourne: Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2009)
Measuring the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
This report provides a picture of the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, using data from the 2004-05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS) and a range of administrative datasets. An interim module, developed to measure social and emotional wellbeing in the 2004-05 NATSIHS, covered the areas of psychological distress, impact of psychological distress, positive wellbeing, anger, life stressors, discrimination, cultural identification and removal from natural family. This reports assesses the use of the NATSIHS module and makes recommendations to improve the module and other measures of Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2009)
Mental health services in Australia 2006–07.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Berry SL, Crowe TP (2009)
A review of engagement of Indigenous Australians within mental health and substance abuse services.
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health; 8(1):
Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Queensland (2009)
Building bridges: learning from the experts: building bridges to implement successful life promotion and suicide prevention expertise across Aboriginal communities.
Cairns, QLD: Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Queensland
This report describes the implementation and findings of a community based suicide prevention initiative in several Queensland Indigenous communities. The project used the knowledge and experience of the Indigenous community in Yarrabah as a model for other communities for the establishment of effective and sustainable community based approaches to build resilience, reduce suicide risk exposure and reduce self-harm. Through knowledge sharing, the skills, knowledge and experience of each community was strengthened.
The report documents the implementation of this project and discusses the various challenges encountered. This may have valuable implications for future Indigenous community based suicide prevention programs using an empowerment approach.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Queensland (2009)
Key directions for a social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing population health framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in Queensland.
Cairns, Qld: Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Queensland
This report aims to inform policy, program development and practice regarding key directions for the development of a social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing framework relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in Queensland. The report provides a rationale for focusing on social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing (SESWB) as a way to promote Indigenous health and wellbeing and reduce Indigenous disadvantage.
Three key directions for future investment are described: build evidence, enhance capacity and develop workforce. The report sets out a rationale, examples of current initiatives, and recommended actions for each key direction.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (2009)
Reducing youth suicide in Queensland discussion paper.
Brisbane: Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian
Curnow J, Joudo Larsen J (2009)
Deaths in custody in Australia: National Deaths in Custody Program 2007.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology
Department of Health and Ageing (2009)
National mental health policy 2008.
Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia
Duke M, Ewen S (2009)
Implementation of Indigenous mental health training in Victoria.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(3): 228-232
Duke M, Ewen S (2009)
Social and emotional wellbeing training of psychiatrists in Victoria: preliminary communication.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S100 - S103
Dyer G, Hunter E (2009)
Creative Recovery: art for mental health's sake.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S146 - S150
Edwards R, Fisher KR, Tannous K, Robinson S (2009)
Housing and associated support for people with mental illness or psychiatric disability.
Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre
Farrelly T, Francis K (2009)
Definitions of suicide and self-harm behavior in an Australian Aboriginal community.
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior; 39(2): 182-189
Fielke K, Cord-Udy N, Buckskin J, Lattanzio A (2009)
The development of an 'Indigenous team' in a mainstream mental health service in South Australia.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S75 - S78
Fourth National Mental Health Plan Working Group (2009)
Fourth National Mental Health Plan: an agenda for collaborative government action in mental health 2009-2014.
Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Fredericks B (2009)
There is nothing that identifies me to that place’: Indigenous women’s perceptions of health spaces and places.
Cultural Studies Review; 15(2): 29-44
Suicide: statement by Minister for Indigenous Affairs [Hansard speech] (2009)
Hames KD
Hart LM, Jorm AF, Kanowski LG, Kelly CM, Langlands RL (2009)
Mental health first aid for Indigenous Australians: using Delphi consensus studies to develop guidelines for culturally appropriate responses to mental health problems.
BMC Psychiatry; 9(1): 47
Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/9/47
Hartman D, Wallis G, Drahm M, Unwin R, Robinson D (2009)
The Napranum social and emotional wellbeing week.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S88 - S91
Haswell M, Hunter E, Wargent R, Hall B, O'Higgins C, West R (2009)
Protocols for the delivery of social and emotional well being and mental health services in Indigenous communities: guidelines for health workers, clinicians, consumers and carers.
Cairns, QLD: Australian Integrated Mental Health Initiative, Queensland Health
This manual was written to provide health professionals with a set of rules for the delivery of mental health services in Indigenous communities in Queensland. The information comes from evidence-based research and addresses the lack of resources available to health professionals on best practice standards for providing mental health care to Indigenous clients.
The manual consists of two parts:
- Part 1 focuses on understanding and supporting social and emotional wellbeing and mental health with Indigenous peoples, covering topics such as:
- an overview on mental health
- culturally appropriate mental health assessment and treatment for Indigenous people
- new approaches to service delivery
- practitioner tools and mental health care
- Part 2 provides guidelines for supporting people with the following mental illnesses:
- depression
- anxiety disorders
- self-harming behaviours
- schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Heffernan E, Andersen K, Kinner S (2009)
The insidious problem inside: mental health problems of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S41 - S46
Henley G, Harrison JE (2009)
Injury deaths, Australia 2004–05.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Jones C, Brideson T (2009)
Using policy and workforce development to address Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S72 - S74
Kanowski L, Jorm A, Hart L (2009)
A mental health first aid training program for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: description and initial evaluation.
International Journal of Mental Health Systems; 3: 10
Retrieved 3 June 2009 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-3-10
Kelly K, Dudgeon P, Gee G, Glaskin B (2009)
Living on the edge: social and emotional wellbeing and risk and protective factors for serious psychological distress among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Darwin: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
Kraemer S, Gately N, Kessell J (2009)
HoPE (Health of Prisoner Evaluation): pilot study of prisoner physical health and psychological wellbeing.
Perth: Edith Cowan University, School of Law & Justice
This report details findings from the Health of Prisoner Evaluation (HoPE) pilot project that sought to investigate prisoner health in Western Australia. The impetus for this project was the recognition of the lack of national data reporting on the health of Australian prisoners. The project involved administering a health questionnaire to Indigenous and non-Indigenous male and female prisoners in Western Australia. The data generated from the questionnaire provides preliminary information on prisoner health trends in the following areas: physical health; mental health; addictive behaviours; illicit drugs; contact with families; sexual history and sexual health; tattooing; and body piercing. The report compares the results of the study with information about the general population, but also evaluates the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous prisoners, and male and female respondents. This pilot study aimed to create a way for a standardised program of health checks to be introduced into WA prisons and ultimately for all Australian prisons.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Mental Health and Drugs Division (2009)
Victorian mental health reform strategy 2009-2019.
Melbourne: Victorian Department of Human Services
Mindframe Media and Mental Health Project (2009)
Reporting suicide and mental illness: a Mindframe resource for media professionals.
Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
This report was produced as a guide for media professionals when reporting on suicide and mental illness. The information in the report aims to educate media professionals on how to report on mental health issues in a responsible and appropriate way. The report covers topics such as:
- the impact of media reporting
- issues to consider when reporting suicide
- information and research on suicide
- issues to consider when reporting on mental illness
- information and research on mental illness
- mental illness definitions
- contacts for further information and expert comment.
The report is aimed at all Australian media organisations and professionals and as such, does not include information specific to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Western Australia suicide prevention strategy 2009-2013: statement by Parliamentary Secretary [Hansard speech] (2009)
Morton H
Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (2009)
Northern Territory suicide prevention action plan 2009-2011.
Darwin: Northern Territory Department of Health and Families Mental Health Program
Pere L (2009)
Creating better futures: when the theory fails and the future is no more.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(s1): S10-S14
Pridmore S, Fujiyama H (2009)
Suicide in the Northern Territory, 2001-2006.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 43(12): 1126-1130
Qi X (2009)
Socio-environmental factors and suicide in Queensland, Australia.
Master of Applied Science (Research) thesis, Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane
Ranzijn R, McConnochie K, Nolan W (2009)
Psychology and Indigenous Australians: foundations of cultural competence.
South Yarra, Vic: Palgrave Macmillan
This book provides information on the psychological impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It begins by looking at the nature of culture, how colonisation has affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and the role of psychology. It finishes by describing how practitioners can work effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Abstract adapted from Psychology and Indigenous Australians
Stolen Generations Victoria (2009)
Between two worlds: a guide to understanding the Stolen Generations.
Melbourne: Stolen Generations Victoria
This report was written to educate non-Aboriginal service providers about the challenges faced by members of the Stolen generations. It contains information on the history of the Stolen generations and advice on the correct practice for working with members of the Stolen generations. The chapters cover a range of related topics, such as 'Acting white, feeling black' and 'Facing the challenges'.
Abstract adapted from Stolen Generations Victoria
Talbot D (2009)
“The Sergeant wants to acupuncture me”: a personal lens into the introduction of a traditional Eastern therapy to Indigenous Australians.
Australasian Psychiatry; 17(S1): S92 - S95
Wand AP, Corr MJ, Eades SJ (2009)
Liaison psychiatry with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 43(6): 509-517
Watson C, Harrison N (2009)
New South Wales Aboriginal mental health worker training program: implementation review.
Darwin: Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
Western Australian Department of Health Mental Health Division (2009)
Western Australian suicide prevention strategy 2009 - 2013.
Perth: Western Australian Department of Health
2008
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2008)
Australia's health 2008: the eleventh biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australia's health 2008 was released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare as the eleventh edition of its biennial national health report. The report shows that Australia is one of the healthiest nations in the world, with most Australians generally have good health and access to a range of good health care services, but Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to have much poorer health than the general population.
Section 3.2 of the report compiles health information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Information about the demographic profile, health status, disability rates, and service use is provided. The section highlights that despite improvements in Indigenous death rates, the overall gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous rates appears to be widening with Indigenous Australians continuing to die at much younger ages. Indigenous Australians also continue to have a greater disease burden, higher rates of disability and a lower quality of life than other Australians. The section concludes with information on behaviours and health risk factors that shape the health status of Indigenous peoples such as tobacco use, alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, and housing conditions.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Delaney P, Raphael B, Wooding S (2008)
Suicide and self-harm.
In: Couzos S, Murray R, eds. Aboriginal primary health care: an evidence-based approach. 3rd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press: 788-805
Department of Indigenous Affairs (2008)
WA State Government response to the Hope report.
Perth: Government of Western Australia
Garvey D (2008)
Review of the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous Australian peoples.
Retrieved 2008 from http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/other-health-conditions/mental-health/reviews/our-review
Garvey D (2008)
Review of the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous Australian peoples - considerations, challenges and opportunities.
Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin; 8(4): 1-29
Darren Garvey is an Indigenous professional with experience as a recipient and provider of services aimed at addressing the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) needs of Indigenous people, and as an academic involved in the training of Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals in providing such services. Darren's perspective as 'insider' and 'outsider', and his professional interest in the development of a culturally competent workforce contributes to the narrative pursued in the review, and to the interplay of academic, policy and practical concerns.
The review describes aspects of the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous Australian people and elements of the Australian contexts in which they live. Major signposts, research findings and interventions concerning Indigenous Australians are highlighted in this review, and a number of general and significant trends are identified. The review attempts to distill several considerations, challenges and opportunities for people involved in the area and for those considering more substantial involvement.
The review begins by discussing the terminology used in the context of Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB). Challenges regarding appropriate service provision, policy, intervention and research priorities are discussed, as well as the means by which practical and conceptual dilemmas regarding these challenges might be resolved.
What emerges is a picture of Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing which is bleak in its account of the mental health problems prevalent among Indigenous people, but also encouraging in the resilience shown by Indigenous people in the face of such adversity. Encouraging too are the efforts made by health service and other professionals to be more conscious of their roles in promoting good SEWB for Indigenous people and the exploration of the varied sites and opportunities in which such work can take place.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Hanssens L (2008)
Imitation and contagion contributing to suicide clustering in Indigenous communities: time-space-method cluster analysis.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 32(3): 28-35
Hillin A, McAlpine R, Bennett B, Brideson T, Worral V, Montague R (2008)
A model for consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders about young people's mental health and wellbeing: the NSW School-Link Training Program.
Australasian Psychiatry; 16(5): 326-332
Hunter E (2008)
The Aboriginal tea ceremony: its relevance to psychiatric practice.
Australasian Psychiatry; 16(2): 130-132
Jorm A, Hart L (2008)
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) National Pilot Program : 2008 evaluation report for the Department of Health and Ageing, Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Melbourne: ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne
Kanowski L (2008)
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) program.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 32(2): 18-19
Kenny DT, Lennings CJ, Nelson PK (2008)
The mental health of young offenders serving orders in the community: implications for rehabilitation.
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation; 45(1&2): 123-148
LIFE: living is for everyone (2008)
Promoting good practice in suicide prevention: activities targeting men.
Canberra: LIFE: living is for everyone
Lifeline Australia (2008)
Lifeline calls: Indigenous Lifeline caller statistics.
Canberra: Lifeline Australia
Living is for Everyone (2008)
A framework for prevention of suicide in Australia.
Canberra: Living is for Everyone
McHutchison J (2008)
Indigenous deaths in NSW Corrective Services custody 1996-97 to 2006-07.
Sydney: NSW Department of Corrective Services
Mental Health Branch (2008)
Queensland plan for mental health 2007-2017.
Brisbane: Queensland Health
New South Wales Department of Health (2008)
Interagency action plan for better mental health: second yearly progress report.
Sydney: New South Wales Department of Health
NSW Department of Health (2008)
NSW community mental health strategy 2007-2012: from prevention and early intervention to recovery.
Sydney: NSW Department of Health
Office of the Stolen Generations Assessor (2008)
Report of the Stolen Generations Assessor: Stolen Generations of the Aboriginal Children Act 2006.
Hobart: Department of Premier and Cabinet
Omari MC (2008)
Promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of West Kimberley Aboriginal children and youth.
Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Curtin University of Technology: Perth
Pagdin R, Bradley P, Sims K (2008)
Developing a culturally secure environment and reducing seclusion.
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; 17(s1): A27
Principles for developing organisational policies and protocols for responding to clients at risk of suicide and self harm (2008)
Queensland Department of Communities
This booklet provides principles that have been developed to support agencies funded by the Department of Communities to meet the Standard for Community Services in Queensland. These standards require agencies to develop, implement and review policies and procedures for preventing harm (including suicide and self-harm), and to respond to potential or actual harm that may occur to clients. The booklet contains sections on appropriate responses to this issue in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Queensland Department of Communities developed this booklet as part of three online resources to meet part of its commitment to the Queensland Government Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Santhanam R, McEwan A, Bainbridge R, Hunter E, Haswell M, Tsey K (2008)
Adapting the Australian Public Mental Health Performance Indicators to the contextual needs of a Remote Area Child and Youth Mental Health Service.
Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin; : 1-17
Stathis S, Letters P, Doolan I, Fleming R, Heath K, Arnett A, Cory S (2008)
Use of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument to assess mental health problems in young people within an Australian youth detention centre.
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health; 44(7-8): 438-443
Suicide Prevention Australia (2008)
Suicide prevention and capacity building in Australian Indigenous communities: position statement.
Leichhardt, NSW: Suicide Prevention Australia
Victorian Department of Human Services (2008)
Because mental health matters: a new focus for mental health and wellbeing in Victoria.
Melbourne: Victorian Department of Human Services
Zoeller R (2008)
Closing the Gap - the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 32(2): 4-5
2007
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2007)
Mental health services in Australia 2004-05.
Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Bowers R (2007)
Clinical suggestions for honouring Indigenous identity for helpers, counsellors, and healers: the case of 'Marsha'.
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Health; 3(2): 89-104
Butler T, Allnutt S, Kariminia A, Cain D (2007)
Mental health status of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian prisoners.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 41(5): 429-435
Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (2007)
Improving the capacity of workers in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to recognise and respond to mental illness and related alcohol and other drug issues: background report.
Sydney: Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council
The Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CS&HISC) have developed training resources and support materials to improve the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to recognise and respond to mental illness and alcohol and other drug issues. This report describes the background to the project and its progress to date.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Denman L (2007)
Enhancing the accessibility of public mental health services in Queensland to meet the needs of deaf people from an Indigenous Australian or culturally and linguistically diverse background.
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(Supplement): s85-s89
Duke M (2007)
The dawn of Aboriginal psychiatry.
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(4): 305-309
Dunbar JA, Hickie IB, Wakerman J, Reddy P (2007)
New money for mental health: will it make things better for rural and remote Australia?.
Medical Journal of Australia; 186(11): 587-589
Fan BWS (2007)
Intervention model with Indigenous Australians for non-Indigenous counsellors.
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Health; 3(2): 13-20
Hampton R, McCann W (2007)
Developing a postgraduate program in Indigenous mental health and wellbeing at University of Southern Queensland.
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(1): s75-s79
Harris A, Robinson G (2007)
The Aboriginal Mental Health Worker Program: The challenge of supporting Aboriginal involvement in mental health care in the remote community context.
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health; 6(1): 15-25
Haswell-Elkins M, Sebasio T, Hunter E, Mar M (2007)
Challenges of measuring the mental health of Indigenous Australians: honouring ethical expectations and driving greater accuracy.
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(Supplement): s29-s33
Holt M, Treloar C, McMillan K, Schultz L, Schultz M, Bath N (2007)
Barriers and incentives to treatment for illicit drug users with mental health comorbidities and complex vulnerabilities.
Canberra: National Drug Strategy
Hooper K, Thomas Y, Clarke M (2007)
Health professional partnerships and their impact on Aboriginal health: an occupational therapist's and Aboriginal health worker's perspective.
Australian Journal of Rural Health; 15(1): 46-51
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (2007)
Us taken-away kids: commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Bringing them home report.
Sydney: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the publication Bringing them home report, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission invited Indigenous people across Australia to talk about their experiences of removal, their thoughts ten years on from the Bringing them home: National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families Inquiry, and their hopes for the future. This report compiles the results of this invitation.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Jorm AF, Kitchener BA, Kanowski LG, Kelly CM (2007)
Mental health first aid training for members of the public.
International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology; 7(1): 141-151
Kenny DT, Lennings CJ (2007)
Cultural group differences in social disadvantage, offence characteristics, and experience of childhood trauma and psychopathology in incarcerated juvenile offenders in NSW, Australia: implications for service delivery.
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law; 14(2): 294-305
McCoy B (2007)
'They weren't separated': missions, dormitories and generational health.
Health and History; 9(2): 48-69
McCoy B (2007)
Suicide and desert men: the power and protection of kanyirninpa (holding).
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(Supplement): s63-s67
McMahon E (2007)
Psychiatry at the frontier: surveying Aboriginal mental health in the era of assimilation.
Health and History; 9(2): 22-47
Monahan L, Twining C (2007)
Guidelines for the delivery of culturally sensitive and flexible counselling for Indigenous carers.
Melbourne: Carers Victoria
These guidelines have been developed for non-Indigenous counsellors who provide support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers. The guidelines aim to develop the skills and knowledge of non-Indigenous counsellors so they can better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who care for someone with a disability, mental illness, or chronic condition.
The guidelines are presented in two parts:
- part 1 - western vs Indigenous conceptions of family, life cycle, and health
- part 2 - what would culturally appropriate and accessible counselling look like and what would make it possible?
The guidelines are the result of a research project that looked at the impact of caregiving on Indigenous carers.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Nagel T, Thompson C (2007)
AIMHI NT 'mental health story teller mob': developing stories in mental health.
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health; 6(2): 119-124
NSW Department of Health (2007)
Interagency action plan for better mental health: first yearly progress report.
Sydney: NSW Department of Health
NSW Health (2007)
NSW Aboriginal mental health and well being policy 2006-2010.
Sydney: NSW Health
This policy aims to address the relatively low levels of specialist mental health service utilisation in Aboriginal communities, despite a high level of need related to mental health and wellbeing. The policy is a framework to guide NSW Health and NSW Area Mental Health Services in the provision of culturally sensitive and appropriate mental health and social and emotional well being services to the Aboriginal community. A number of best practice interventions are also highlighted in the report.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
O'Brien AP, Boddy JM, Hardy DJ (2007)
Culturally specific process measures to improve mental health clinical practice: Indigenous focus.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 41(8): 667-674
O'Brien LM, Jackson D (2007)
It's a long way from the office to the creek bed: remote area mental health nursing in Australia.
Journal of Transcultural Nursing; 18(2): 135-141
Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (2007)
National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 2003-2013: Australian Government implementation plan 2007-2013.
Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing
The Australian Government Implementation Plan was developed by the Department of Health and Ageing in consultation with all relevant Australian Government agencies and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council. It has a strong emphasis on a whole of government approach to addressing the key priorities identified.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Pattel N (2007)
Aboriginal families, cultural context and therapy.
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Health; 3(1): 24
Petchkovsky L, Cord-Udy N, Grant L (2007)
Post-Jungian perspective on 55 Indigenous suicides in Central Australia: deadly cycles of diminished resilience, impaired nurturance, compromised interiority; and possibilities for repair.
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health; 6(3): 1-14
Pratt G (2007)
Reflections of an Indigenous counsellor: sharing the journey: therapist and person?.
Australasian Psychiatry; 15(Supplement): s54-s57
Ranzijn R, McConnochie K, Clarke C, Nolan W (2007)
'Just another white-ology': psychology as a case study.
Counselling, Psychotherapy and Health; 3(2): 21-34
South Australian Social Inclusion Board (2007)
Stepping up: a social inclusion action plan for mental health reform, 2007-2012.
Adelaide: South Australian Social Inclusion Board
Stacey K, Keller N, Gibson B, Johnson R, Jury L, Kelly D, Newchurch L, Ryan B, Short T (2007)
Promoting mental health and well-being in Aboriginal contexts: successful elements of suicide prevention work.
Health Promotion Journal of Australia; 18(3): 1
Stathis S, Letters P, Dacre E, Doolan I, Heath K, Litchfield B (2007)
The role of an Indigenous Health Worker in contributing to equity of access to a mental health and substance abuse service for Indigenous young people in a youth detention centre.
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health; 6(1)
Retrieved 19 March 2007 from http://www.auseinet.com/journal/vol6iss1/stathis.pdf
Toomey T (2007)
Mental health and substance abuse: working with Aboriginal communities for improved health in mid-western NSW.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal; 31(3): 13-18
Wilczynski A, Reed-Gilbert K, Milward K, Tayler B, Fear J, Schwartzkoff J (2007)
Evaluation of the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs, final report.
Canberra: Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
In 2006, the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health commissioned Urbis Keys Young to evaluate the Bringing Them Home and Indigenous Mental Health Programs. Four programs were covered in the evaluation: the Link-Up Program; the Binging Them Home Program; the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Regional Centre Program; and the Mental Health Program.
The evaluation consisted of a consultation with service providers, associated organisations and clients of the services. The evaluation was advised by a Reference Group with membership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
Ypinazar VA, Margolis SA, Haswell-Elkins M, Tsey K (2007)
Indigenous Australians' understandings regarding mental health and disorders.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 41(6): 467-478
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